1Manstanding’s Weblog

Roger Clemens, most recently pitcher for the New York Yankees, is facing accusations of steroid use from both the Mitchell Report and José Canseco’s 2005 book, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big.

Clemens’ name is mentioned 82 times within the Mitchell Report for steroid use in baseball, citing references from former Yankees’ teammate and pitcher Andy Pettite as well as professional strength trainer Brian McNamee.

McNamee is accused in the Mitchell Report of helping acquire performance enhancing drugs for some or all of the players he personally trained, including both Andy Pettite and Roger Clemens. Mr. Clemens’, in an effort to communicate his innocence in the matter, appeared in an interview by journalist Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes, where he denied all assertions that he injected steroids, saying they “never happened.”

Furthermore, player Roger Clemens’ and trainer Brian McNamee testified in front of a House of Representatives oversight committee on February 13, 2008, where they both reinforced claims that they other was lying during the hearing. The case, unresolved, is now in the hands of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Most of the coverage received in the mainstream media has been objective, with articles not necessarily expressing favor towards any side of the issue. Pictures are almost always stock footage of Clemens on the field, which is how the public knows him best. These photos show Clemens in his natural element, which in my opinion is better than pictures of him testifying in front of a House committee, because that would just scream that something is awry. Also, a majority of the mainstream media articles did quote some form of Clemens’ denial of performance enhancing drug (PED) use statement, with other quotes being from industry insiders, players, or Clemens’ lawyer. Clemens’ long-time friend Andy Pettite is now his worst enemy as he peppers these articles with recalled snippets of conversations between himself and Clemens concerning steroid use. These articles usually tie Clemens’ own crisis into a nostalgia for baseball and its great players before it was rampant with dishonest competitors and seedy practices.

Blog coverage, as a more personalized medium, gives mostly unfavorable opinions concerning Roger Clemens and this incident. No sympathy is extended to Clemens, with blogs expressing dissatisfaction and even boredom with the seemingly endless claims of PED use that have recently become ubiquitous to the MLB and other professional sports leagues. Of the four blogs I visited, only two actually featured a photo of Clemens. One was an action shot of Clemens reigning on the pitcher’s mound, while another blog offered links to two pictures supposedly before and after the alleged steroid use. Blog coverage is focused mostly on speculation from the Web site author on whether or not Clemens did actually engage in the use of PED’s. Blogs frame the crisis as just another fallen hero, not unlike prominent stars in the past who have been knocked-down from their demi-god status.

The mainstream media coverage features articles that are lengthy when compared to those blog postings on this subject. I believe this is because the mainstream media is trying to offer all of the facts, which there are many, and provide some consistency to a story that suffers discrepancies from all persons involved. Bloggers are merely offering up their opinion of the story, which unlike a traditional news article, doesn’t necessitate hammering out all of the details to educate a reader so they can make their own informed opinion. The mainstream media coverage, in contrast to the blogosphere, seems to be a more reliable source of “official information” concerning the allegations of Clemens’ alleged drug-use. I say this because use of quotes from top-ranking officials, such as Bud Selig, MLB commissioner, and even President George W. Bush, are prevalent in the articles offered by traditional news media, whereas they are mostly absent in the blog entries.

I did not encounter any statements from a personal manager or publicist employed by Roger Clemens. On the other hand, statements from his lawyer were frequently used. This must be because of the legal sensitivity surrounding the issue of illegal drug-use. As such either Clemens or his attorney is wise to screen all statements though somewhat of a “legality lens” before releasing them to the media. Clemens has also been communicating a consistent message denying his alleged drug use to the media and law enforcement, which is far more helpful than if he had remained mute on the matter. People will likely extend the benefit of the doubt to a celebrity during a crisis if they are in constant communication, whereas if they are not, people begin to wonder “What is THIS celeb hiding”?